Love, Me
by angellwings
Summary: The next artist to become a sensation from Camp Rock after Connect Three wasn't Mitchie with her library of song books or Caitlyn with her drive and ambition or even Tess riding on the coat tails of her famous mother. No, it was Ella Pador...
1. Chapter 1

Love, Me

by angellwings

* * *

Chapter One

* * *

The next artist to become a sensation from Camp Rock after Connect Three wasn't Mitchie with her library of song books or Caitlyn with her drive and ambition or even Tess riding on the coat tails of her famous mother. No, it was Ella Pador. Ella Pador who became very frustrated with her friends the summer after Camp Wars and wrote a song to tell them about it. Ella Pador who won Final Jam that year and scored a publishing deal with a huge label in Los Angeles.

She spent a year writing songs for other artists and working with other writers to really learn about composition. Her songs became some of the most sought after pop songs in the industry and she wrote multiple hits over the course of the year. And then finally she was offered a deal of her own. Her first single was the very song she'd won Final Jam with and it sky rocketed to the top of the charts. Her next two singles followed suit.

A year and a half after she won Final Jam, she was opening for Connect Three. When the opportunity arose to have her on tour with them they jumped at it. She was the opener immediately before them and had a solid 45 minute set. They were all worried at first because their audiences typically didn't react all too well to female opening acts but Ella charmed them all week after week.

It was that tour that really brought Ella closer to the boys. They were experienced in the business and she wasn't. She didn't quite trust her manager, who was also her father's manager. So, when she needed to mull over a decision she came to them. When she needed help with a song or to decide on her next single she went to Nate. When she needed tips about stage presence and working with a crowd? Shane. When she needed advice on how to be polite to fans even when they're shockingly crazy? Jason. She seemed to come to Nate more than the other two however and he found he didn't mind one bit.

They were living in a tour bubble. The only news you really heard had to do with your next show, the only people you really talked to were a part of your tour or your crew, the only fans you were really concerned with were the ones in front of you every night. There always came a point in the tour where the bubble burst and Nate could feel it coming. The real world was about to come crashing in on them.

She rushed into their pre-show green room with her phone in one hand a piece of paper in the other and he knew that this was the moment. The moment that would bring the real world crashing in on them.

She sat down next to him with a huff and slumped her shoulders.

"I'm not going to like this," Nate told her immediately.

"The label doesn't like my pick for the next single," she told him with a furrowed brow. "They say it's too similar to my previous singles."

"It's a totally different tempo and has not one similar chord. How exactly is it all similar?" He asked her in confusion.

"It has a 'message'," she said as she rolled her eyes. " 'This Moment', 'Who Says', and 'Firework' all had a message and they say they want something different."

"They're all completely different songs and they're the songs that gained you a following. Why fix something that isn't broken?" Nate asked her with a shake of his head.

"That's what I said, but they insist. They want something upbeat and they want to do a remixed radio version with a rap added into it. So they want me to pick something that'll fit that," she told him as she bit her bottom lip. She looked like she wanted to say something else but was hesitant to.

"You have one in mind already don't you?" He asked her.

"One of the songs I recorded on this album was one I wrote at Camp and that I used to perform. You didn't like it then and I don't think you'll like it now. Considering who I wrote it with…"

He closed his eyes and groaned. "Ella, no."

"It's a hit every time I perform it," she said logically. "People go crazy for it and there's a rap already written for it that we know fits in very well and my co-writer has a solid five top 10 singles on his discography, Nate. It just makes—"

"You'd have to record, perform, and promote it with Luke Williams," he told her with a roll of his eyes.

"I know and I hate him as much as you do but he and I did work very well together back at Camp when we had to. Believe it or not when he's focused on working he's not completely unreasonable," she assured him. "And added bonus, 'Intuition' has a bit of a message. I could kill two birds with one stone."

He had to admit it was the best compromise in the face of what the label wanted and Luke had mellowed since Camp. Maybe he wasn't the jerk he used to be.

"What do you think?" She asked worriedly.

"It makes sense," he said slowly. "It's a smart compromise too. Everyone gets what they want. I think…I think it's smart, Ella. Really I do. I don't like it, but it's definitely the best choice."

"Thank you!" Ella said as she launched herself at him with a huge hug. "I know it's my decision to make but having your support means the world, Nate."

He smiled softly and hugged her in return. "You're always gonna have that, Ells. Trust me."

The label accepted the offer and as luck would have Ella didn't actually have to interact with Luke face to face. She called him, he agreed, and he recorded his part of the remix separately since both Ella and Luke were touring. They did phone interviews and separate appearances on television due to conflicting schedules and Nate thought they'd actually escaped from this without being face to face with him until Ella got word that the label wanted a music video. They felt this single would outperform all her previous ones and they wanted a music video to spread around online. And they wanted Luke and Ella in the same room.

So, she took a weekend off from the tour to go out to California and film it. She came back with the news that she and Luke were dating. He'd been right, that day weeks ago had been the end of the bubble. It hurt. For some reason, Ella dating Luke hurt. It didn't make sense. She had the right to date who ever she wanted to date. She seemed happy. Luke was treating her right from what he saw. Occasionally the Luke from Camp Star made an appearance but Ella would give him a look and an apology soon followed. He seemed to adore Ella completely, and it didn't hurt sales of their single or the views for their video. The label was right. It was Ella's biggest hit yet.

Their tour was coming to an end and the label had surprised Ella with announcing that she and Luke would be co-headlining their own tour. They had three months to prepare a show and then they'd be touring for five.

He and Ella were sitting on his balcony in his hotel room on the last night of the tour. They were enjoying the stars and the moonlight and a couple of celebratory beers when she said, "I feel like everything is about to change."

She didn't say it in a hopeful way. She said in a thoughtful bittersweet tone that he'd never heard from her before.

"You're on the edge of something great, Ells," Nate assured her. "This tour is going to put you on the map in a way your music hasn't yet."

"I feel like I'm going to lose all of you, though," Ella said honestly. "I like being here with you and Jason and Shane. I still get to see Caitlyn and Mitchie when they come to visit you guys and it feels like…it feels like old times."

"What? You think we're not going to drop in on you?" Nate asked as he bumped her shoulder playfully. "Trust me, we'll all visit. We're dying to see you on your own stage. You were born for this, Ella. You deserve all of it."

She smiled warmly at him and then rested her head on his shoulder. "I think I'll miss you most of all, Scarecrow."

He chuckled at her. "I'll be sure to tell that to Tin Man and Cowardly Lion."

"Don't you dare!" She said as she smacked his arm. "Well, maybe Shane. His ego could use a bit of a blow. Maybe realizing he's not my favorite will help."

His eyes widened. "You were serious? I'm your favorite?"

She laughed and leaned over to slowly kiss his cheek. "You've always been my favorite, Nathaniel."

Their faces were inches apart and they both knew they should move but neither could. Ella's eyes flickered to his lips and then back up to his eyes and he knew what she was thinking. He was thinking it too. But they couldn't. They shouldn't.

"Ella," Nate said softly. "Are you happy? With Luke, I mean?"

That seemed to break the spell and she immediately backed away from him. "I—yes, I am. He's a very good boyfriend, actually. Surprisingly."

"I'm glad," he said with a sad smile. "Really, I am. But…"

"But?" She asked.

"If that ever changes," he said as he took a deep fortifying breath. "Let me know. Okay?"

She smiled softly at him and nodded. "Okay."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

The tour ended and their relationship became distant. Not by choice. They kept in touch through e-mails and texts but neither had time for visits or phone calls. He recorded all of her interviews and watched them in his few quiet moments. She and Luke were still going strong, in fact they seemed stronger than ever. He'd moved on too. He realized he would never be over Ella. Something about her was different but she was taken and he couldn't drown in that. He started dating a nice girl who wasn't in show business at all. She was an accountant and very sweet. She didn't know he was famous until their second date and he liked it that way. She genuinely didn't care about his celebrity status.

Ella and Luke had finished putting together their show and it had opened the night before in Vegas. He woke up the next morning to a very excited text.

 _"OMG I'M MARRIED. I CAN'T BELIEVE IT. And we were sober the WHOLE time."_

He blinked at it several times. He tried falling back to sleep, thinking maybe he'd wake up and this would have been part of a nightmare, but nothing changed the text message waiting for him on his phone. What are you supposed to say when the girl you're in love with marries someone else?

 _"Congrats, Ells. That's huge! Are you happy?"_

Her response came back very quickly.

 _"Beyond happy."_

 _"Then I'm happy for you too."_

 _"Thank you, Nathaniel."_

He couldn't bring himself to respond after that. He just couldn't.

The Ella Pador/Luke Williams tour sold out. Every city, every show, every date. If you didn't buy them the minute they became available then you'd have to brave the scalpers for a ridiculously inflated ticket price. And people actually did. That's how in demand Ella and Luke were. They were America's Sweethearts. Everywhere he looked there they were. The whole Camp Rock group went to one show and they were blown away. Ella's wardrobe was completely her. Fluffy skirts that sparkled all over and dance breaks that made you wonder how she kept going for the whole show. She threw in a few songs from the new album she'd started working on and he noticed more and more of her songs were pop fluff with very little lyrical meat. Not that there was anything wrong with that. Connect Three made a living off of that. But it wasn't Ella. Ella loved that her songs always had a lesson to teach or an encouraging message. She seemed to be stepping away from that, though. He supposed it was inevitable.

Her first single off of her next album outsold every previous song she'd released and her album broke sales records when it was released a month later. She'd achieved Superstar status. Every single she released sold more and more and was nearly played out on the radio. Though, she'd left the inspiring messages behind her. She'd become the party anthem queen with a few puppy love pop songs thrown in. Five hit singles and a year and a half later he read that the label rewarded her with her own worldwide headlining arena tour. It was the stuff of every artists dreams. He texted her congratulations. Her response concerned him.

 _"Thanks! I haven't decided if I should though."_

What? Why would you debate that? It was a no brainer. That's what he told her. She followed it with something that made him shake his head.

 _"Luke's been really stressed lately and I feel like I should be here for him, you know?"_

Luke's once promising career had all but halted. His album tanked and his singles received no radio play. If he were Luke he'd be stressed too but he'd never hold Ella back. He wouldn't want to ever hold her back.

 _"Has he asked you not to go?"_ he texted her curiously.

 _"Not in so many words. I don't know. He mentioned wanting to take it easy. Just me and him. Sort of settle down."_

She literally just got started. There would be plenty of time to settle down later.

 _"Ella, this is your career and your dream. Don't you think he'll support that?"_

 _"Of course he would_." She responded quickly. And then, after a pause: _"He loves me."_

And for the first time, Nate doubted Ella's happiness.

 _"Ells, are you happy?"_ He texted.

 _"Most of the time."_ She replied honestly. _"No major complaints."_

For Ella, that was as good as a no.

 _"Go on tour, Ella, you earned it. If Luke really loves you then he'll cope."_

 _"It is a really good opportunity and I've started working on the next album. I could try out some new songs."_

 _"See? It's perfect."_

 _"Totally, you're right. No question."_

She moved forward with the tour. It was the most anticipated tour of the year. Even more anticipated than Connect Three's upcoming tour. He was so proud. He made sure to get tickets to at least three shows. No way was he going to miss this. He knew she'd put on one hell of a show.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

* * *

Andy was in her back up band and he and Nate talked quite a bit. Andy started to text him in concern as the months of rehearsal went on and the tour loomed closer.

 _"Dude, do you still have an in with Ella?"_

 _"What do you mean?"_

 _"If you do, you gotta talk some sense into her. She's gonna run herself ragged before the tour even starts."_

 _"Doing what?"_

 _"You don't know?"_

 _"Obviously not."_ Nate was worried and irritated now.

 _"We're rehearsing in Florida and she flies back to LA every weekend to be with Luke. He refuses to come here. She's exhausted. Everyone can see it."_

Damn, he thought, that wasn't good. You couldn't start a tour tired. And what did that mean, he refused to go to Florida? Sounded like she was putting in more work than him. But he really didn't know how to approach that with her. She hadn't told him that and he didn't want her to think he was talking about her behind her back.

 _"I'll see what I can do."_ Nate texted back.

He didn't know if there was anything he could do. He never found a way to bring it up before the tour started. Caitlyn went to the fifth show of the tour and said the show was outstanding but she barely got to visit with Ella because she was catching a flight immediately after the show to meet Luke in New York, where he was currently stopped on his own small club tour.

"Is she doing that a lot?" He asked Caitlyn. "Flying to visit Luke?"

Caitlyn sighed and gave him a knowing look and a shake of her head. He took that as a yes. "She's trying to save something that's already over," was all Caitlyn would say.

His first show he'd bought tickets for was halfway through the tour and given all the flying back and forth she was doing he was surprised she was so full of energy. The show was amazing. She performed to every level of the crowd. They adored her, and against all logic…so did he. He knew it was breaking his heart but he couldn't help it. He was too far gone to turn back now.

He saw her in person after the show for the first time in over two years and she was more beautiful than he remembered. She hugged him so tight and he let himself just enjoy the moment. He let himself fall even deeper in love with a married woman. God, he was an idiot.

"So, you're not going to visit Luke tonight?" Nate asked hesitantly. "I've heard you're doing that a lot lately."

"No, he's on a small club tour in London for the next two weeks," she answered with a sigh. "I'm starting to think this tour was a mistake."

"No, Ella," Nate assured her. "This was the right decision. This is the dream, isn't it?"

She smiled wistfully and nodded. "Absoultely."

"You're happy out there on stage, aren't you?"

"Yes," she said with a beaming smile.

"Then you're in the right place, Ells. Don't let anyone convince you otherwise."

He must have sounded bitter because she quirked a brow at him and shook her head.

"Luke isn't the monster you think he is, Nate."

"I never said that, Ella. I don't think he's a monster," Nate told her. He didn't. Monster was much too harsh. But he was definitely selfish and he was dragging Ella down at a time when she should be flying high. But he wasn't a monster.

"You think he's bad for me," She said observantly.

"I think he's not really acting worthy of you at this particular moment," Nate said honestly. "If he's smart then he'll turn it around."

"We're working on it."

"No, Ella, you're working on it. He's not working with you," he told her with a sympathetic glance. "It won't work if he won't put in the effort. You know that, don't you?"

"He'll come around," She said as she bit her bottom lip worriedly. "He will."

"I hope so," Nate told her with a small sad smile. For her sake, he sincerely hoped he would.

He went to her last show in the United States. Her Los Angeles show. She was considerably less energetic than the previous show he went to. Not enough that any one in the crowd would notice. But enough to concern him. And that night she wasn't backstage when he made his way back. Andy told him she'd just left for the airport. She was flying to New York to see Luke. Again. Mitchie and Shane were there too and they looked as concerned as he did.

"Coffee?" Mitchie asked him. "Plenty of supplies at my place."

Nate agreed. If only for the distraction.

He wasn't expecting Mitchie to confront him with something he'd been avoiding.

"So, what are you going to do about Ella?" She asked him.

"What?" Nate asked in shock as he looked to Shane for help.

Shane shrugged and wrapped an arm around Mitchie. "She has a point, dude."

"Are you just going to let her stay in this joke of a marriage?" Mitchie asked him with a glare.

"It's her choice, Mitch. I'm here if she needs me. I'm not going to be the one who breaks them up," Nate told her with a sigh. "No matter how much I may want to."

"It's not healthy," Mitchie said with a shake of her head. "For you or her. I mean she only married him because she thought you—" Shane tossed a glare at her and she gasped before she stopped herself from speaking.

Nate gave his brother an odd look. "Because she thought what? What are you both not telling me?"

Shane sighed in resignation. "You're a real idiot sometimes, you know that? She thought you didn't want her. So she ran full speed into a commitment to Luke because he did want her."

"But—I thought—she's the one who didn't want me," Nate said with furrowed brow. "She chose him."

"Did you ever tell her how you felt, Nate?" Mitchie asked softly with a gentle smile.

"No. No, I guess I didn't," he admitted. "Not really. I can't now. She's trying so hard to make it work with Luke. She wants it to work out and I can't stand in the way of that. I can't keep her from what she wants."

"She doesn't know what she wants, Nate," Shane told him honestly. "She's lost right now. Trust me."

"Even more reason that I can't say anything. She needs to find herself again first. I don't want to make it worse," Nate said with a sigh.

Mitchie chuckled sadly and then reached over to pat his hand. "You're such a gentlemen, Nate. Never lose that. It's what's going to bring her to you in the end."

He wasn't so sure about that, but he accepted Mitchie's assurance with a thank you.

The next show he went to was her last show of the tour in Australia. There was a delay in the middle of the show. The band was vamping unnecessarily and from his spot next to the sound technicians he could hear everyone being ordered to stall. Nate made his way backstage and found Ella's bodyguard outside of her dressing room.

"She in there?" He asked.

The guard sighed sadly and nodded.

"Is she hurt?" He asked in worry.

"Not physically."

He knocked but got no response. He closed his eyes and called her name. He prayed she'd let him in. The door unlocked and cracked open. Nate seized the opportunity and stepped inside. He closed the door behind him and found Ella sobbing on the loveseat in the corner.

"Ella?" He asked hesitantly as he sat down next to her.

She immediately turned and latched onto him. Her tears were soaking through his shirt. Ella was crying. Ella never cried. Not unless something huge happ—Luke. It had to be Luke.

"Ella, what's wrong?" He asked worriedly.

She took a deep gasping breath and then rubbed her tearstained cheeks. She sat down at her make up table and started to redo her make up. He thought she hadn't heard him but then she tossed her phone to him, followed by a thick yellow envelope.

"The text came just before his lawyer faxed my lawyer those."

He watched her warily before he glanced down at the messages on her phone.

"Can't do this anymore. We don't want the same things. Your priorities are all screwed up. I want out."

He looked up at her and watched her breathing slowly for a moment before he opened the envelope. Divorce papers. Nate chuckled bitterly and shook his head. "That was fast." He cursed under his breath and then leaned forward with his arms resting on his knees. "Ella, you don't have to go back out there."

She shook her head. "Yes I do. I absolutely do. I've disappointed enough people lately. I can't disappoint my fans too."

She straightened her outfit, checked her make up one last time, and then turned to face him.

"This will be here when the concert is over, right?"

He nodded and gave her a concerned glance.

"I'll deal with it then. I have a show to finish."

He stood and hugged her tightly. He placed a kiss to the top of her head. "You're stronger than you know, Ella. You'll get through it. We'll help you. I'll help you."

He went back out to watch the end of the show. Her brightness was dimmed but her fans probably couldn't tell. The show was still great and the last song came around, appropriately titled "Not Like the Movies." He watched and listened in pain as her voice broke when she reached the bridge of the song. She crumpled on the stage. She was slumped on her knees and singing with the microphone held tight against her lips. She'd gathered herself up by the time the song ended and got through two encore performances before the show finally ended. He raced backstage and reached her just as she'd showered and changed clothes. She fell into his arms in sweats and wet hair with not a bit of make up on and fell apart.

He held her tight and whispered words of comfort. She'd get through it. He'd make sure of it. He would help her all he could.

After that night, Ella pretended she was okay. He knew it was an act. They all did. But she refused to talk about it. It was all over the tabloids and the entertainment news channels and the internet. Rumors were flying but both Luke and Ella were keeping quiet. An agreement of the divorce he'd found out. She was supposed to go back into the studio to finish her album but she was stalling. She was putting it off. Every day Nate grew more and more concerned.

He was unpacking at the studio when his phone rang. That was odd. Everyone knew he was in the studio. They usually didn't call him. The number was Tess's.

"Hello?"

"Nate, you have to get over here, to Ella's, right now," she demanded.

Tess sounded scared. That was rare and terrified him to no end. "Tess, what's wrong?"

"She's locked herself in her bathroom and she won't come out. She's not responding to me or Peggy at all."

"Shit," he cursed as he frantically packed up his bag. "I'm coming. Okay? I'm on my way. Keep trying, will you?"

"Okay, hurry," Tess said as she hung up.

By the time he arrived, Tess and Peggy had gotten her to open the door but she was all but collapsed on the floor, crying hysterically. He'd never seen her like this. Never. She was muttering the worst things about herself. She blamed herself for everything that went wrong. She called herself worthless and useless and his heart kept breaking into smaller and smaller pieces. Tess and Peggy were sitting next to her on the floor, playing with her hair, rubbing her back, anything that might soothe her.

"Ella," Nate said firmly as he sat on the edge of the tub. "Listen to me."

She sniffled and angled herself toward him without sitting up. "You're so much more than any one relationship. So much better than him. You're worth more than any mistake you could have made and you can do more than you could ever imagine. You've got friends who care about you and love you. Nothing about you is worthless or useless or undeserving of anything you have. You have to believe that."

"Why?" She asked with red eyes and bitter laugh. "Why do I have to believe that?"

She sounded so hollow that it physically hurt him. "You have to believe that because I believe in you."

"We all do," Tess added with a kind smile.

"You've always followed your heart, Ella," Peggy told her. "You've always had faith when we didn't, well, now it's our turn to have faith when you don't. Okay?"

Nate nodded. "Lean on us, Ells. It's why we're here."

She wiped her cheeks roughly and gulped back more tears. "Thank you." She met Nate's eyes with her bloodshot ones before she repeated herself. "Thank you."

"Anything for you, Ella," Nate told her with a warm smile. "Let's get you off the floor, huh?"

He reached to help her up but she shook her head at him.

"No, no," she said with a deep breath and a look of determination. "I've got it."

They watched as she stood up and turned toward the mirror. She glared at her reflection and he couldn't help but wonder what she was thinking. Finally she nodded, released her death grip on the sink, and left the bathroom.

"Nate," she asked as they walked toward her kitchen to make a pot of coffee. "Do you think your uncle would let me help him at Camp this summer?"

"Of course he would, Ells. No questions asked," Nate answered immediately.

"I—I think I need a break," she told them all with a shaky breath. "And Camp was always my sanctuary. I—I think I need that again."

He reached over and took her hand in his and softly caressed the back of it. "Whatever you need, Ella, you can have."

Tess and Peggy left after coffee but Nate stayed. He just couldn't bring himself to leave.

"I feel lost, Nate," Ella told him softly as she washed her dishes. "I look in the mirror and I don't know who I am anymore. That girl you knew at Camp? I can't find her anywhere."

He took the wet dish from her and dried it with a thoughtful glance. "That's why you want to go back to Camp? You want to find her again?"

"That's silly, isn't it?" She asked him nervously.

"No, Ella, it makes perfect sense. I've—I've missed her. I want you to find her again too," Nate said as he placed the dish in the cabinet. He bumped her shoulder playfully and then winked at her before speaking again. "Just go a little easier on the sparkles this time around."

She laughed and the sound made him feel so much lighter. "Never. Glitter is for life, Nathaniel."

There she was. The Ella he remembered was making a comeback. Slowly, but surely. She'd hit her low point. It could only be up from here.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

* * *

She worked at Camp Rock that summer and filled in wherever Brown needed her. She called Nate every chance she got and with each phone call she sounded more and more like herself. She was writing again. She was going to finish the album. She had 6 songs she'd recorded during the tour and she was still writing new ones every day.

"This album is going to be much more me than my last two," she told him over the phone. "I can't wait for you to hear these songs. Yet I'm totally terrified to play them for anyone," she said with a soft laugh. "It's like singing my diary."

"I've got this coming weekend free," he told her. "I should come visit before the summer ends. Maybe we can use Brown's studio to record some demos."

"I'd love that," Ella told him. "I really would."

"Then it's settled," he told her. "I'll see you this weekend."

"Looking forward to it," she said in a tone that was happier than he'd heard her in months.

She hugged him so tight when he arrived that weekend. He was surprised but he didn't fight it. He hugged her just as tightly in return.

"I've missed you," Ella said with a happy sigh.

He smiled fondly at her and then placed a kiss on the top of her head. "I missed you too, Sparkles."

"No," she said with a shake of her head. "That's not what I mean, Nate. I—I missed us. I let us drift so far apart while I was with Luke and I shouldn't have done that. You're my best friend and I'm always going to need you."

He inhaled the sent of her shampoo, lavender and vanilla, and nodded against her shoulder. "The feelings mutual, Ella."

She pulled out of the hug but kept a firm grip on his hand. "Come on, I want to play you my songs."

She led him to one of the rehearsal cabins and played him the songs she'd written since she'd left for Camp and for a second it felt like they were teenagers again getting ready for a Jam. She was right, though, she was basically singing her diary. The songs were beautiful. Eloquent, emotional, earnest. They were totally honest. She put everything on the table and he loved her all the more for it. Every one of them was one of her best songs to date.

"Ella," he said with obvious awe. "You're amazing."

She blushed and shook her head. "No, I'm really not."

"Yes, you are. What are you going to call it? The new album, I mean?" He asked as he sat next to her on the piano bench.

"I was thinking…Chrysalis," She said slowly and thoughtfully as if she thought he might laugh.

"I like it. It's fitting as a metaphor for…revival," he said as he referenced the title of one of her new songs.

"Exactly," she said with a contended sigh.

"Are you happy, Ells?" He asked as he searched her eyes for an answer before she even spoke.

"I'm getting there," she told him honestly. "I'm happier now than I was when I was _with_ Luke so that's a step in the right direction, isn't it?"

"Absolutely," he agreed.

The weekends were free time for the kids so Ella had no classes to attend and she and Nate wandered around Camp together. They walked trails through the woods and talked about everything and nothing.

"Do you remember that day I locked myself in my bathroom—silly question—I mean it's hard to forget," she said with a soft sigh.

"It's definitely hard to forget. You had me terrified, Ells," he told her honestly.

"I terrified myself," she told him with a shake of her head. "Ever since things started to go bad with Luke I've felt like it was my fault. Like my career did this. Luke felt that way too. He told me as much every single time we fought. I worked so hard to try and make up for it. To make things better. I bent over backwards trying to make him happy and I could never succeed. So, when it ended…when it finally ended and everything I did was pointless it just _crushed me_. My chest felt crushed by guilt every moment of every day. _I screwed it up_. I was to blame. My fault, my career, my choices… _my fault_."

"You never said anything," Nate told her with a furrowed brow.

"I didn't know how or what _to_ say," she admitted. "I had no words to express the utter _failure_ I thought myself to be. It's not over. I'm still struggling with it every day. I have to remind myself of…" she paused and then turned to give him a warm smile. "Of what you said to me that day."

"Me?" He asked in surprise.

"Yes, Nate, you," she said as she stopped when they reached a clearing in the woods and turned to face him. "You're so much more than any one relationship. You're worth more than any mistake you could have made and you can do more than you could ever imagine. You've got friends who care about you and love you. Nothing about you is worthless or useless or undeserving of anything you have," she repeated from memory. "It's burned into my brain. When I feel that guilt I think about that and it lightens the load until a piece of it slowly melts away. One day at a time."

"It's all true," he assured her. "In fact, I'm certain that Luke's issues had nothing to do with you and everything to do with his own failings. He just took it out on you and blamed you. You tried to reach him Ella but he refused to meet you halfway. That part is on him."

"I'm starting to see that," she agreed. "I mean I compare him to you or any of my friends and it's so different. I was away from all of you for the better part of two years, working, and yet none of you told me to stop or accused me of abandoning you. In fact, you encouraged to do more and be more and enjoy it. If Luke had truly cared about me, he would have done that too. My dreams and my life are not lesser than his. I see that now."

Nate wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a hug. He didn't often initiate hugs but in this instance he couldn't help it. He was so happy to see her healing. She wrapped her arms around him and sighed contentedly as she rested her head against his shoulder. "I'm proud of you, Sparkles."

She chuckled and nodded against his shoulder. "I'm proud of me too."

And this was all before lunch. Lunch that they later had with both Connie Torres and Brown Cesario.

"There we go," Connie said as she sat out burgers and fries on their table in Brown's cabin. "The Camp Rock favorites for two of _my_ favorites."

Ella chuckled at her. "We could have eaten in the Mess with the kids, Mrs. Torres."

"Please, _Connie_ ," she said as she gave Ella a parental glare. "Call me Connie. You too, Mister," she said as she pointed at Nate.

"Oh no, I couldn't do that," Nate told her nervously. "You're practically my brother's Mother-in-Law."

"If either of them ever get it together and make that last step," Connie said with an amused smile and a shake of her head. "Been long enough, don't you think?"

"Everything in it's own time, Connie," Brown told her with a laugh. "No need to rush anything."

Ella's smile dimmed just a little and Nate could tell what she was thinking. That's what she'd done. What she and Luke had done. They'd rushed. Nate reached under the table and squeezed her hand gently, she looked up at him and her eyes met with his reassuring smile. She visibly relaxed.

"So," Brown asked after he and Connie exchanged a knowing look. "How's the song writing coming, Pador?"

"Really well, actually," Ella said with an excited smile. "Nate and I were actually wondering if we could use your studio later for demos?"

"Anything you need, Ella," Brown told her with a wink. "Record away."

"But eat first," Connie said sternly as Ella beamed eagerly at Brown. "We know how you get when you're working."

Ella blushed prettily but nodded and picked up a fry from her plate. "Understood."

"So, how's Connect Three these days, Nate?" Brown asked curiously.

"Oh good, same as always," he told him. "We're taking some time off to keep things from becoming too routine. Jason's got some gigs booked to play guitar on a few tracks for other artists and Shane's gonna try the acting thing."

"What about you?" Ella asked as she lifted the bun of her burger and motioned for Nate to take the pickles. He laughed softly at her and picked them up with his fork.

"I thought I'd try some producing. I've got a few offers and then…I don't know. I guess I'll see what happens," He told her with a smile. "It's good. This will be the first time in my life that I don't have a plan. It's kind of…refreshing."

"Wow," Ella said with a laugh. "Nate Gray enjoying not having a plan. Who'd have thought?"

"Hey! I don't always have a plan."

"Right, sure you don't," Ella said sarcastically with a teasing grin. "You're totally impulsive. All the time."

"I can be," he told her. "You know, sometimes."

She gave him a knowing look and he laughed before holding his hands up in surrender.

"Okay, okay. Never. I'm never impulsive."

"Well," Connie said with a warm motherly smile. "That's what happens when you've worked every day since you were—what?—thirteen? I think you're right. A little time to wander will do you good, Nate."

"Thank you, Mrs. Torr—" she gave him a look and he faltered. "Connie. I appreciate the support."

"Hey, I'll support you in whatever you want to do, Nathaniel," Ella said with a grin. "I just think this nomad thing you're attempting is going to be a lot harder for you than you think. You're a planner and it works on you. That's all I'm saying."

"Well, Sparkles," Nate said as he reached out a hand and tugged lightly on a strand of hair that had fallen from her pony tail. "If it's difficult then I guess I'll just have to let you help me."

"Anything for you, Nate," she told him with a secretive smile. He knew she was repeating his words from months earlier. He knew because he felt his stomach flutter as she said the words. She didn't mean it like he did, but it still felt wonderful to hear her say them.

Ella's phone rang suddenly and she glanced down at it hesitantly. Her brow furrowed and she excused herself from the table. Three pairs of eyes followed her out the door. But as soon as she was gone two pairs turned on him.

"Nate," Brown said with a sympathetic smile. "You realize you're in love with the girl, don't you?"

He gulped and stared at his uncle in shock. "You could tell that within one dinner?"

Connie laughed and shook her head at him. "You have far too much warmth in your eyes when you look at her to be just her friend. And, if I'm honest, she's more herself when you're around. You make her…"

"Stronger," Brown finished for her. "That's where you were going wasn't it?"

She nodded. "Yes, exactly. And I've never really seen you seem so carefree before. That's interesting. You look…lighter."

He smiled softly at his plate before daring to look up at the two of them again. "She's always made me feel more…normal, I guess. Like Nate Gray is some other guy who's too busy and too stressed out but _Nathaniel_ —well—he's just your average guy and he's enjoying life as it comes. Is that—is that weird?"

"No, Nate," Brown told him. "It means she makes you feel valued and safe so you're able to relax. She cares about who you are and not what you do. Well, I'm sure she cares about what you do but only in so far as it makes you happy. It's a rare thing to find that level of comfort. You're in for a bit of a wait, though. You know that?"

He nodded. "I'm a patient guy. I always have been. I can wait for her to be ready."

"You're a true gentleman, Nate," Connie told him with a warm smile. "Never change."

He chuckled lightly at that. "You know, Mitchie almost said that exact same thing once."

"What can I say?" Connie said with a smirk. "Like mother, like daughter."

Ella came back in then and they all watched her carefully. Her brow was furrowed and her lips were pursed and she looked very thoughtful.

"Everything okay, Ells?" Nate asked in concern.

She shook herself out of her thoughts and then nodded. "Oh, yeah, sorry. That was the label. They want another single within the month. They think one of the six I've already recorded will work."

"Didn't you tell me that all you had completed for the album were party anthems or up tempo love songs?" Nate asked in confusion.

"Yeah," she answered with a slight grimace. "But I mean that should be fine. I knew the label would find those songs more commercial anyway."

"You don't seem to keen on the idea, love," Brown said observantly.

"I don't know. It just feels wrong," she said with a sigh. "I've been through so much recently that an up tempo club mix single would feel…artificial."

It was an odd word to use but Nate understood her meaning perfectly. "What about one of the new songs? Something a little more relevant to where you are now. It's your career, Ella, and you're a proven success now. You can veto them and there's really nothing they can do to stop you."

Ella's doubtful look gave way to a determined grin and she nodded decisively. "Screw them," Ella said to the whole group. "I always let Luke and the label talk me into those party songs and while it's fun to sing one every now and then…I want to do more. I want to create music than _means_ more. I'm just going to have _show_ them who I used to be. Who I still am sometimes. As soon as we're done with dinner, I'm getting to work," Ella said before she turned and pointed at Nate. "And you're helping me."

He chuckled and nodded. "I knew that was coming. Whatever you need, Ella."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Love Me is a song by KATY PERRY. I repeat...NOT MY SONG. Just borrowing it. Don't sue me.**

* * *

Chapter Four

* * *

 _(The following is a transcript of Ella Pador's latest performance video that was posted earlier today to Camp Rock's YouTube Channel)_

ELLA PADOR _(hereafter EP)_ : Hello, Internet. It's been a while. For those of you who don't know me, my name is Ella Pador.

OFF SCREEN VIDEOGRAPHER: Everyone knows you, Ms. Ella.

EP: No, Trevor. Everyone doesn't. Let me start this video by saying, all of the students you see behind me are Camp Rock students. The musicians, the singers standing by are all a part of this wonderful place. So are the people behind the scenes. Like Trevor, who actually created his own program of study here at Camp Rock. How amazing is that?

This place is a sacred place to me. Some of you may know that I've been through a bit of a struggle lately and after hitting rock bottom my first instinct was to come back here. Camp Rock has always been the place for learning and growing and…revival. I have rediscovered who I used to be. Who I was at the start of all of this and who I was always meant to be. I have learned so much from these kids this summer and I know it was the absolute right decision for me.

This place stays with you long after you leave. It's always a part of you and I hope students everywhere continue to be a part of this place for many generations to come. These kids you see here are the future of the industry, and, if you ask me, we could all stand to be a little more like them. To be a little more like the people we were when this journey began.

Now, for my Ella-Bells who are watching, you may be wondering why you're here. Why I'm posting a video right now when you've been patiently awaiting new music. Well, this is your reward. This video and the song we're about to perform is a song that's both for and about you. I hope it speaks to you. I hope you take something away from it. And I hope it allows you to understand me a little better.

Ready, guys? Okay, let's go.

 _(PERFORMANCE)_

EP: Thank you all for watching and thank you all for sticking with me through the highs and the lows and I hope you'll stick with me through everything that's to come. Through my…Chrysalis.

 _(END OF VIDEO)_

* * *

Google search: "Love Me" Ella Pador and the students of Camp Rock

Top result: "Love Me" by Ella Pador Lyrics

 _I lost myself in fear of losing you_

 _I wish I didn't do_

 _But I did_

 _I lost my own, my own identity_

 _Forgot that you picked me for me_

 _But now, I don't negotiate with insecurities_

 _They always seem to get the best of me_

 _I found I had to love myself, the way I wanted you to..._

 _...love me,_

 _No more second guessing_

 _No, there's no more questioning_

 _I'll be the one defining who I'm gonna be_

 _No concealing feelings, or changing seasonally_

 _I'm gonna love myself, the way I want you to love me_

 _Sometimes I wish my skin was a costume_

 _That I could just unzip_

 _And strip_

 _But who I am is who I'm meant to be_

 _And it's who you are in love, in love with_

 _So now, I don't negotiate with insecurities_

 _They're gonna have to take a back seat_

 _I know I have to love myself, the way I want you to..._

 _...love me,_

 _No more second guessing_

 _No, there's no more questioning_

 _I'll be the one defining who I'm gonna be_

 _No concealing feelings, or changing seasonally_

 _I'm gonna love myself, the way I want you to love me_

 _[2x]_

 _No more standing in my own way_

 _Let's go deeper, let's get closer_

 _No more standing in my own way_

 _(I want you to love me)_

 _No more second guessing_

 _No, there's no more questioning_

 _I'll be the one defining who I'm gonna be_

 _No concealing my feelings, or changing seasonally_

 _I'm gonna love myself, the way I want you to love me_

 _No more second guessing_

 _No, there's no more questioning_

 _I'll be the one defining who I'm gonna be_

 _No concealing feelings, or changing seasonally_

 _I'm gonna love myself, the way I want you to love me_

* * *

"So," Nate asked after the video as posted the views were starting to climb. "Why this song?"

She nervously chewed on the inside of her cheek before she answered. "It's a message to the label and to my fans that…things are going to change now. I'm going to change. My music will change with me. I'm taking charge of my own life and my own career. _No more standing in my own way_. No more letting the fear of losing love control my life. If it's truly love then I can't lose it that easily anyway. Does that make sense?"

He smiled warmly at her and nodded. "Absolutely. What's the plan?" He asked as he motioned to the computer screen.

"If I know my fans like I think I do then they're going to love this and they're going to demand it be the new single. They'll want it on radio air play and streaming services…the label will have no choice but to release the song I want," She said with a confident nod.

He shook his head at her in amazement. "God, you're impressive. You know that, right?"

She blushed and shrugged. "It's nothing. I just know my fans. They're the best. They've always been the best and they've been really sweet through my months of silence. It's not impressive. I just…pay attention to them."

"Correct me if I'm wrong," Nate said as he sat down next to her. "But this song doesn't seem to be about Luke."

"It's not," she said immediately. "It's about everything else. Well, maybe a little about Luke, but mostly it's about me and everyone else in my life. I…Nate, I forgot that the people who truly matter most to me chose to be in my life because of who I used to be. The girl that you liked, that our friends liked originally, wasn't Ella the Pop Sensation. She was just Ella. Ditzy, goofy, optimistic Ella. I forgot that I could be myself with the people who truly care and because of that I lost her. I lost the old Ella. This song is a reminder to myself and everyone who liked that girl that…that she's coming back. She's a little worse for wear but she's on her way back."

Nate smiled softly at her and then slipped his hand into hers before giving her hand a supportive squeeze. "I was hoping you were going to say that. This is the perfect song, Ella. It feels relevant to you in this moment and it's so very real. The label would be insane to pass on it."

They didn't. Of course they didn't. There was no question once that video hit a million views in a matter of weeks as to whether or not that would be her new single. Not only that, but when the label found out Nate had arranged the song and the instrumental the band played they begged him to come and produce the studio version. He agreed for Ella, but he was nervous. What if they didn't work as well together as he always assumed they would?


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

* * *

The label asked him to produce two songs. Both would be singles, one following the other. So, they had to work well together. They were stuck with it for not just one but two tracks. When he arrived at the studio he found tons of cars and paparazzi surrounding the entrance. He wasn't quite sure why until he heard one of them shout:

"Nate! What do you say about Luke's latest comments regarding the divorce? That Ella wasn't as committed to repairing their marriage as he was?"

He froze for a split second and nearly turned around to yell what would have been a highly inappropriate answer but found his self control again a few seconds later and kept walking. Don't make it worse. Find out what Ella's doing about it before you speak.

He entered the actual studio area and found Ella's public relations representative on her phone, looking resigned and bored. "No comment. Yes, that's right. No comment. Nope. Not a one. No comment. Yeah, uh huh, right. You too." Marie hung up and then shook her head at Nate. "You saw the insanity outside?"

"Yeah, what's she doing about the Luke thing?" He asked her.

"Nothing. She wants to do nothing," Marie told her with a dry grin. "Karma is a bitch, she says. What goes around comes around, she says. If it were me I would disclose the amount of money she spent traveling back and forth to see him for so long. But no, she has to take the high road."

"She's not gonna do anything?" He asked with a furrowed brow.

"No, she says it's private and it's no one's business but her own. And, to be honest, she's not wrong. Luke's been dying to talk shit since it officially ended. He's just been waiting for her to come back to town and now that she's returned from Camp Rock, he has his wish. Eventually he'll talk himself into a dead end and the truth will out I suppose. I just hate to see her take the abuse," Marie said with a sad sigh. "She's really too sweet to have to be in this situation to begin with. I mean, what man would divorce _her_? She's as adorable inside as she is outside."

"Truer words," He told Marie with a soft smile.

"Well, I'm gonna go. Let you two work. Tell Ella I'll see her tomorrow," Marie said as she started to gather up her things.

"Hey, Marie?"

"Yeah Nate?"

"If she let you handle it, what would you really do?" Nate asked with a furrowed brow.

"Exactly what she's decided to do. Let the guy talk himself out," Marie answered honestly. "She can say all she needs to say in her songs."

Well, that made him feel better. He still wished there was some way to keep the guy from dragging her name through the mud. Ella was in the booth with her vocal instructor and band going over notes. It would take them at least a couple of weeks to record these tracks the way he heard them in his head. They were beautiful songs. Ella had outdone herself. She looked up from her music on her stand and waved at him with an excited smile.

How she looked so excited given what was going on outside he'd never know. He was furious at the entire situation but she seemed…maybe not fine but positive. She must have noticed his strange mood because she excused herself to make her way to the control room. The door opened and she gave him a concerned smile.

"Hey, are you okay?" She asked.

"Am I okay?"

"Yes," She asked him with amused grin at his shocked face. "Are you okay?"

"Ella, there are paparazzi outside shouting at people for their opinions on your divorce and you seem…so…okay?" Nate asked her with a furrowed brow.

She shrugged. "Choose your battles, Nathaniel, that way you win the war. Besides, nothing he says is true and it'll all come back to bite him. Meanwhile, I'm recording two tracks to be packaged with my second album for deluxe album release. It's back to work and back to my life."

"It's that easy?" He asked.

"No," she said honestly. "I spent three months at Camp sorting out my feelings and writing my heart out. This place I am in now, Nate, has been three months in the making. I'm not letting him ruin that."

"Choose your battles," Nate repeated. "Got it. You are much more patient than I am."

She gave him a look that seemed to go straight through him. "I doubt that, Nate. I really doubt that."

He froze. Did she know? Did she know that he was waiting for her?

She gave him one last smile and then retreated back into the booth. He stared after her in stunned silence. He wasn't sure what just happened.

The day moved on and Nate realized it was foolish for him to worry about working with Ella. He should have known they'd be a dream team. It was really the most fun he'd had in a very long time. It worked. It worked so well that he found himself amazed.

The next few weeks flew by. "Love Me" was released and skyrocketed to the top of the charts. Luke's desperate grab for attention had run out of steam by the time the song reached number one. Ella had been right. He's trash talk had backfired.

The label liked her two new songs so much that they hired Nate to produce her third album. Ella had campaigned for it, she told him. If she were going to make her third album more personal then she wanted the person she trusted most producing it. They spent so much time together over the next several months that it felt like that first tour when she opened for Connect Three. He felt just as close to her as he did then and he felt as though that Ella was finally coming back to him. She would never be exactly like that Ella again but she was closer than she had been all those months ago.

It had been seven months since her divorce from Luke Williams by the time she was choosing the first single off of her third album.

"Revival," she said instantly. "Done."

Nate laughed and nodded. "Okay, that was easy."

"I knew that would be the single as soon as I wrote it," she told him with a smile.

"I knew as soon as you played it for me," he agreed.

"The way you produced it…" she said softly with a heartfelt glance and disbelieving shake of her head. "It was like you could hear it the way I heard it in my head, Nathaniel. How did you do that?"

"I think it just comes from knowing you so well, Ells," Nate said honestly. "I hear _you_ when I think about these songs. So I just…tried to put _you_ to music. That was my goal for this whole album."

"So, these tracks are the way I sound in your head?" She asked as she tilted her head to the right and gave him a curious glance.

He thought for a moment and then nodded. "Yes."

"I…I don't know what to say to that," she said with an impossibly bright smile. "I think that might be the most beautiful thing I've ever heard."

"You're the only one who would understand what I mean," Nate said with a chuckle. "Anyone else would look at me like I was insane."

"Insanity and genius are separate by a very thin line," she told him with a smirk. "You stay _just_ on this side of the line."

He laughed before feigning a hurt look. "Wow, ouch."

"Hey, listen," she said as she smiled warmly at him and slid him a well word piece of notebook paper. "I have to turn in my Thank You's tomorrow for the album notes, would you mind reading them over for me?" She asked. She seemed nervous and he wasn't sure why. He'd proofed her thank you's for her first two albums. It wasn't unusual. "I've got to go," she said suddenly. "I've got dinner with the girls, but—um—call me with your suggestion later, okay?"

"I'm sure they're fine, Ella—"

"Well, I'll wait to hear from you before I turn them in anyway," she said quickly. "See ya," she said as she grabbed her stuff and breezed out the door.

That was…odd. Even for Ella.

It wasn't until several minutes later when he finally unfolded the paper that he realized…she hadn't handed him a copy of her Thank You's.

 _Why didn't Dorothy stay with Scarecrow? I've always wondered. Clearly he was her favorite for a reason, wasn't he? And poor Scarecrow, he'd helped her so much only to have to let her go in the end. He always seemed so noble to me._

 _It's funny, though, I called you my Scarecrow long before I realized how accurate that comparison was. Are we too far removed from that moment in time for me to tell you what I regret most from that night? Oh what the hell. Even if nothing comes from this, you should know anyway. Maybe you don't even remember that night before I left your tour. It's a night that's burned into my memory but maybe it isn't for you? I don't know. You're hard to read sometimes, Nathaniel. I adore you but it's hard to tell what you're thinking most of the time._

 _I'm rambling…_

 _That night, on the balcony of your hotel room, I wanted you to tell me to stay. To ask me not to go. Or to give me a reason to let go of Luke. To tell me you wanted me more. At the time I thought you didn't because…well because you didn't want me. But all these years later, I've realized something…_

 _You really were my Scarecrow._ _Too noble and too much of a gentleman to put a damper on something you thought made me happy. You didn't want to be the one responsible for ending my relationship with Luke. I should have seen that. You're my best friend and I'm supposed to know you better than anyone._

 _My biggest regret is not seeing that in you. Not understanding what you were doing and why. Because I could have saved us both so much pain if I just told you what I wanted. So much time has gone by and we're both a little different but I feel like you deserve to know, Nathaniel…_

 _I still want that. I still want_ _you_. 

_More than anything._

 _This Dorothy isn't leaving her Scarecrow behind. If that's what you want too, I mean. Only if you want it too. If not, then best friends will do so long as I keep you in my life for as long as humanly possible._

 _Thank you, Nate. Thank you for being there for me when I need you most. You're steady unlike any man I've ever known before you. My one and only constant. Please never change._

 _Yours,_

 _Ella_

He'd stopped breathing after the first paragraph. Or that's how he felt. He was still conscious so he must be breathing. The world seemed frozen in time around him and he was back in time to that night. The night they'd almost kissed, the night he'd fought everything in him that wanted to beg her to stay, the night that changed it all. The whole time he'd thought he'd be taking advantage, she'd been wishing him to make a move. She'd wanted a reason to leave Luke. She'd wanted _him_ to be that reason. He'd never known. He'd never thought.

Shane and Mitchie had once mentioned it but he never really considered that they were right. He glanced down at his watch quickly. Forty Five minutes. She'd left forty five minutes ago. Where had she said she was going? Dinner with the girls? What girls? Mitchie and Caitlyn? Tess and Peggy? And _where_? He supposed he could wait and call her later but…

He didn't want to. He knew how she felt now and he didn't want to waste any more time. He didn't want her to doubt how he felt for a minute longer. He could call her but this wasn't a moment he wanted to have over the phone. He tried calling Mitchie, Caitlyn, Peggy, and Tess but none of them answered. He sighed and then called Shane.

"Yo, bro," Shane said as he answered.

"You really have to stop answering the phone like that. It doesn't sound as cool as you think it does," Nate told him with a roll of his eyes. "Is Mitchie out to dinner with Ella right now?"

"Yeah," he answered as he ignored Nate's critique of his greeting.

"Where?"

"Why?"

"I need to talk to Ella," He said with a sigh.

"Then call her."

"I tried. Will you just tell me where they are?" It was a bit of a lie, he hadn't called Ella, but Shane would never know that.

"Shake Shack," Shane told him with a sigh. "What's going on, man?"

"I'll explain later," Nate told him quickly. "Thanks!"

There was a Shake Shack a block away. That had to be where they were. It was possible he could still catch them. He packed up his stuff and took off down the stairs and out the door. He stopped outside of the upscale burger joint and spotted all five of them at a table by the far window. He moved to the window beside their table and knocked on the glass. They all jumped and Ella's eyes immediately found his. He pressed the letter to the glass and then smiled warmly at her. She blushed and looked down for a moment. When she looked back up he motioned for her to meet him at outside.

He waited by the door and watched as she excused herself from their friends. He stood off to the side of the door as she stepped through. She gave him a hesitant look.

"We can pretend I never wrote it, if you want, Nathaniel. I don't want you to feel like you have to return—"

She never finished her sentence because he interrupted her with a kiss. A kiss he'd waited a very long time for. She made a surprised sound that was muffled by his lips on hers and then wrapped her arms around his neck as she let herself sink into the kiss. A few minutes later the sounds of people gasping and whispering met his ears and he remembered they were in public. He pulled away from her but maintained a smile, he hoped. He felt like his smile was probably the goofiest it had ever been. He'd wondered what kissing Ella would be like and it was so much better than he'd ever imagined.

"We should talk," he told her as he brushed a strand of hair out of her face. "I have so much I want to say to you. About… _everything_. So much I've been dying to say for years but I never wanted…I never wanted to cause you any pain or stress so I kept it to myself. Not anymore, Ella. Never again. I want to tell you exactly how I feel and make it as clear as it can be. So…we should talk."

She nodded and beamed at him. "I'd love to."

He took her hand in his and led her back to Label offices. His car was still there. They could go to his place or hers. Or, hell, just sit in his car. He didn't care. As long as it was just the two of them.

As long as it took them to get here, he knew it was worth the wait. Ella would always be worth the wait.


End file.
